In a media telecommunications environment, users subscribe to a service provider for telecommunications services. The telecommunications services may include a range of capabilities, including simple voice (telephone), voice mail, audio (i.e. music) downloads, email, text messaging (texting), video calling, video mail, and Internet access, to name several. The user, or subscriber, employs a personal communications device such as a cell phone, PDA or other personal computing device operable to provide the services subscribed to. Often such services entail communications to another subscriber. The other subscriber employs a similar device operable for the service to be employed, such as voice, text or video, for example.
From time to time, the service providers enhance their service offerings with new and/or improved services, to keep pace with technology and marketing trends. As is often the case with new technology, an initial release of functionality may take some time to establish a substantial user base. In the case of interactive operations between subscribers (i.e. services between two or more users), both users employ a device operable according to the service to be employed.
When new communications services are launched, so called “network effects” frequently limit the early adoption of the service. The problem is the new service requires new terminal devices and/or new facilities in the network. Until there is a critical mass of enabled users, i.e. a “network” of users, the early adopters have few people to communicate with and there is little incentive for others to adopt the devices or use the new service. This is particularly a problem with video communications services today, but is a general problem with any new communication service.